CR Smith to cover repair costs at Fife Cycle Speedway track

Last month, we reported that Fife Cycle Speedway club's custom-built facility, which is located within the grounds of Queen Anne High School in Dunfermline, was targeted by vandals.

The incident came less than a week after the track, which was opened in 2016, the year of the club's formation, hosted an inaugural Scottish National Cycle Speedway Championships, in collaboration with Scottish Cycling, that attracted around 50 riders and more than 150 spectators.

Fife Cycle Speedway said that seating and bleachers were damaged, and that the repair bill would "have a direct impact" on their plans for next season.

However, after reading our story, CR Smith have stepped in with an offer to cover the costs involved - and are set to double that outlay in sponsorship and promotion.

The home improvements firm, whose head office is located in the city, offered to help, with their chairman, Gerard Eadie, having held a long-term interest in cycling.

Kevin Eadie, CR Smith chief executive, said: "We saw the article in the Press and we were really disappointed to hear about this.

"Mr Eadie has been into cycling all his life, he's a big follower of cycling, and we'd just like to support the local community by doing this.

CR Smith's Kevin Eadie, with Fife Cycle Speedway's Craig Masson and club riders, after CR Smith made a donation to cover the cost of repairs at the track. (Image: David Wardle.)

"As a business, we really believe in youth, training young people and supporting young people, and I don't think there's any better way to do that than a sport.

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"When we read it was potentially going to wreck their season, you can't have that. Kids with a focus are kids developing, but we put a lot of time and effort, in various causes, to support children. It was right on our doorstep so we were keen to help."

Fife Cycle Speedway, with their 'Fife Revolutions' teams, compete in British Cycling North and Scotland League divisions, as well as in the SPAR Scottish League, which they have won for 2024.

In addition to offering riders of all ages the chance to participate in the sport, which continues to grow in popularity, the club's track is free for the public to use outwith club events.

Craig Masson, head coach of Fife Cycle Speedway, said that they were grateful for the support of not only CR Smith, but to others who got in touch with messages of support, advice and monetary offers following the vandalism.

"We were devastated when the vandalism happened, and we couldn't understand why people would do that, especially when we're a charity and all our provision's free for anybody who wants to use it," he explained.

"When we put what had happened out there, we were grateful for, and appreciated everyone's offers of sympathy and advice, and obviously we got the call from CR Smith to say they were keen to help us.

"They saw our story, they saw the impact replacing seating would be for us, and said they would offer to support us, to help us. We're over the moon with that.

"We're delighted that something negative happening, so much good has come from it, that we've got a community that is taking pride in the area, and wanting to ensure that we continue to have nice things for everybody to use.

"That section of seating would've been over £1,000, which we don't have. We're a small sports charity and the money that we bring in goes straight back out, on the likes of our race days, bike maintenance, and to ensure that everything's free for the kids that are taking part.

"Trying to find that additional £1,000 stops us from maintaining their bikes, which stops the young people participating in cycle speedway, and then it stops them from being active, or being part of a club that they're proud of, and want to represent."

The club has grown to become one of the biggest in the UK. (Image: David Wardle.)

Fife Cycle Speedway currently have around 45 members, making it one of the biggest clubs in the UK, and Craig added: "This is a facility that is free to use during the week. If you join the club, it's free to use as well.

"It's something that is really nice to have in the community, and we want people to appreciate the nice things that we've got in the area because, if we don't, it doesn't attract people to the area. People don't want to come to the club, or to the city, because it's left in disrepair.

"We've got pride in our club and our facility, and we want to have that message sent out to everybody else.

"If we do the same, not just for this club or facility, but everything else in Dunfermline and West Fife, then we've got a great area to be proud of."

Police Scotland previously told the Press that enquiries into the incident were ongoing.